Sweet Tangerine
by IchigoOtaku01
Summary: Sanji loved her more than anything in the world, but she didn't love him back.  Now he has to either win her back or get over her, which he's learning is one of the hardest things to do.


My first chapter story for One Piece! : D I'll update this as much as possible, I don't have a set schedule for now. But I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own One Piece. It's awesome already.

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><p>Sanji checked his watch again when his foot began to thump against the floor at a frantic pace. He let a sigh ease its way out of his chest and resisted the urge to grab one of his cigarettes. He'd smoked three already just sitting there, a fourth one would look bad, make him look addicted. Not to say that he wasn't, Sanji just didn't want people to think he smoked for all the wrong reasons. Right now, he was anxious as his eyes scanned the café area again, searching for a familiar bob of orange colored hair.<p>

'Where is Nami? She's never late like this,' Sanji thought to himself, gripping his knee to still the foot beating against the floor. His eyes drifted to his watch again, even though he was sure the minutes hadn't changed yet. Nami was only ten minutes late, nothing to be worried about.

She arrived not a minute later, heaving as if she had just run a marathon. "I'm sorry. The transit was horrible, and I slept in," Nami gasped, holding her chest as she tried to catch her breath.

Sanji smiled and held out the glass of water he'd been sipping on. "Not a problem. Do you need a drink of water?"

Nami looked at the glass and shook her head. "No, I'll be fine," she sighed. "Have you ordered food yet?" Sanji rocked his head back and forth to signal no.

The waiter walked up to their table asking for the kinds of food they wanted. Sanji happily ordered for them both, knowing exactly what his Nami-swan would want to eat. When he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, she smiled slightly back at him. The waiter rushed off when their order was placed.

They talked as the minutes passed, waiting for their food. "I'm glad you were able to take the day off to come talk with me," Nami said, sipping on a drink their waiter had brought soon after taking their order.

"Anything for you, Nami-swan," Sanji said, his voice low as he sighed like a lovesick puppy. "It's been such a long time since we've had a chance like this, I would jump at any opportunity to see you."

Nami fidgeted in her seat, but it went unnoticed by Sanji as his eyes and nearly been replaced by hearts. Their food arrived rather quickly, Nami only assumed it was a given since they were eating in a diner. She didn't give it a second thought as she started eating the salad Sanji had ordered her, which nearly matched the one he had.

Eating was always a time for them to be quiet. Most of the time, Sanji cooked their meals whenever they ate together, and all of their conversation would start when he cooked and stopped when they ate. Sanji wanted Nami to enjoy the food he had created, she found it was best to show her appreciation through actions and not words. This habit went past their time together, as Nami realized she was always quiet when she ate.

Nami cleared her throat when her salad was halfway gone. Sanji looked up from his food to inquire what could possibly be wrong, as Nami only did such a thing when she wanted attention. "Is something wrong, Nami-swan?" he asked.

She looked at him through her bangs before directing her eyes back at her half eaten salad. "Sanji, please be considerate when I explain my next statement if you would," she started. "I… I think we should break up."

He dropped his fork on the plate, sending a few lettuce leaves over the edge and tumbling onto the table. His eyes locked onto Nami's hair, her eyes still looking down at the plate in front of her, as his mouth dropped open. Silence formed again, until Sanji finally regained his voice and spoke up. "What?"

"Sanji, I don't want to be with you like this anymore," Nami frowned. "I don't love you the same way anymore. I want to see other people."

He was unable to speak up, prompting Nami to continue. "If you would like to be friends, I'd rather have some distance for a bit. Give us both a chance to get used to this. Until then, I'd appreciate it if you just stop talking to me for a while."

Sanji suddenly lost his appetite, unable to look at the last few bites of his food without making his stomach churn. As he pushed his plate away, Nami continued to talk. "I'm sorry it's come to this, but it's hard to see myself staying with you," she explained.

"B-But… I don't understand," Sanji stated. "Nami-swan, we've been together for two years! How can you say you don't see yourself staying with me?"

Nami sighed and rubbed her face with the heel of her palm. "Some things change Sanji. Not everything is going to stay the same," she said. "Besides, I really don't think I've had the same feelings for you after all this time."

"Y-You don't have to," Sanji stammered. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry, Nami! I don't know what's wrong, but I love you!"

"But I don't love you."

He was silent again, unable to argue against Nami. Deciding it was best to leave it at that, Nami pulled some money out of her purse and placed it on the table. She looked at Sanji, who had threaded some fingers through his hair and leaned on his elbow, and frowned as she stood. "Goodbye Sanji," she said before walking away from the table.

He couldn't move, even when the waiter asked him if he wanted to take the extra food home or if he was ready for the check. Sanji was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't realize time was passing by. The next time he checked his watch, he had been sitting in the same spot for four hours. Confused and crushed, Sanji paid for the food, left a small tip, and took the remnants of both salads home.


End file.
